1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile communication terminal such as a mobile telephone that is capable of receiving messages, and to an information providing system that is provided with this mobile communication terminal and with a server, and in which the server commands the startup of applications held by the mobile communication terminal, and to a program that is used by the mobile communication terminal, and also to a recording medium that can be read by a computer and on which this program can be recorded.
In particular, the present invention relates to a mobile communication terminal that has a function of receiving a PUSH type message such as short message service (SMS) messages and starting an application using an application startup command included in the message, a function of playing games, a function of creating mail, or a function of inputting character strings by key operation, an information providing system, a program, and a computer readable recording medium.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2003-342040, 2003-342041, 2003-342043, 2003-342375, 2003-342376, 2003-342377, and 2003-342378, filed Sep. 30, 2003, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
A system known as e-mail that is conducted via the Internet is widely used as a mail using a personal computer (PC) or mobile telephone or the like. In e-mail, mail that is transmitted from a transmitting terminal is temporarily stored in a mail server, and a receiving terminal accesses the mail server and inquires whether or not newly arrived mail is present at its own address. If new mail is present, the receiving terminal requests that this mail be transferred to the receiving terminal. Accordingly, regardless of whether or not newly arrived mail is present, it is necessary for the receiving terminal to conduct a certain amount of communication in order to make an inquiry to the mail server, thereby creating the problem of poor efficiency.
In contrast, in a mobile telephone, PUSH type messages (referred to below as “PUSH messages” or simply as “messages”) that are transmitted via control channels are used as notification of newly arrived e-mail. The name of the service differs depending on the company; however, this system is generally known as SMS. SMS is a system for transmitting and receiving short messages, and messages such as mail are transmitted via control channels that are known as paging channels from an SMS server to a receiving terminal such as a mobile telephone. For example, in the case of a CDMA system for mobile telephone, SMS are transmitted using data burst messages over paging channels that are used in the control of mobile stations and the like. The SMS is used as notification of newly arrived e-mail. In this case, if the receiving terminal is within the range of the communication service, and is in a state in which reception is possible (i.e., a state in which the service can operate), when an e-mail arrives in the SMS server via an e-mail server, notification of this reception is immediately transferred to the receiving terminal as a PUSH message, and the receiving terminal is able to receive this notification and automatically acquire the newly arrived e-mail. Accordingly, the user does not need to periodically make access from a terminal in order to confirm whether or not e-mail has arrived, and there is no need to conduct unnecessary communication to make an inquiry, as is the case with e-mail. However, because the control channel has a small transmission capacity, message is limited to short messages of approximately 100 bytes.
Note that SMS is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No 2002-320025.
In Japan, SMS is commonly used for giving notification of newly arrived e-mail, however, it is also used in application automatic startup systems such as those described below. Examples of such application automatic startup systems include systems that designate a specific application in order to operate the function of a camera or player or the like that is held by a mobile communication terminal such as a mobile telephone so as to automatically start up that application from another terminal such as a mobile telephone or a PC using these SMS messages.
Moreover, in a system that transmits data to a mobile communication terminal such as a mobile telephone using a server, a message that relates to data delivered to the mobile telephone is transmitted from the server. In response to this message, the mobile telephone starts up the application that corresponds to the message. As a result of the started application making a request to the server for the delivery of data, the data held by the mobile telephone is updated, and the mobile telephone can receive the latest data at a suitable opportunity.
An example of this type of application automatic startup system includes an information providing server system that provides a variety of information (i.e., contents), for example, information that changes from moment to moment such as stock price information, news, and weather forecast information to a mobile communication terminal using PUSH messages.
Namely, the mobile communication terminal of a user (referred to below as a “user terminal”) stores several applications in order to receive the aforementioned variety of information. When a server acquires new information such as stock price information for a user, in order to make a PUSH delivery periodically of information showing that this stock price information has been updated, the server creates a PUSH message instructing that an application be started up, from among the applications held by the user terminal, that receives this stock price information, and transmits this PUSH message to the user terminal using the SMS. When the user terminal receives the PUSH message, it automatically starts up an application, such as a World Wide Web (WWW) browser or a newsreader, that is instructed by the received message and makes a request to the server for that stock price information or the like. The server then transmits data containing the stock price information or the like to the user terminal. As a result of the user terminal acquiring updated information in this manner, the user is able to view stock prices, news, weather forecasts or the like at the time when this information is updated.
According to an information providing system that is based on this type of application startup, a user is able to automatically receive desired information from a server and display this information without having to perform any sort of operation.
In addition, a map information providing system has also been proposed as an application automatic startup system. This map information providing system enables a mobile telephone to receive PUSH type SMS and download a map.
There are also conventional PUSH data delivery systems such as those shown in FIG. 37 and FIG. 38.
FIG. 37 is a system structural view of such a PUSH data delivery system and shows an example of the use thereof in a crime prevention system.
In FIG. 37, when a call server 1021 confirms the update of data that is to be delivered, it transmits a message containing information showing that type of data being delivered to a mobile communication terminal 1022. The mobile communication terminal 1022 has a response unit that switches to a state in which data is able to be transmitted or received in response to the call from the call server 1021, a data type detection unit that detects the type of data, and an application startup unit that starts up an application that corresponds to the type of data. FIG. 38 is a conceptual view of the structure of the mobile communication terminal 1022.
When a camera device 1023 detects an abnormality it notifies the call server 1021 that an abnormality has occurred and also provides image information at the time the abnormality occurred. The call server 1021 uploads the image information via the Internet 1024 to a WEB server 1025 and, at the same time, sends a message to the mobile communication terminal 1022 notifying it that image information has been updated. The mobile communication terminal 1022 analyzes received messages, starts up related applications, accesses the WEB server 1025, and downloads the image information at the time the abnormality occurred that was uploaded to the WEB server 1025.
In this way, the user of the mobile communication terminal 1022 is able to confirm the situation when an abnormality has occurred without constant monitoring of a dedicated terminal by using the display of a mobile communication terminal.
Services that use PUSH data delivery systems include the automatic reception of e-mail and the automatic updating of databases such as inventory management databases. As in the case of the above system, by providing the mobile communication terminal with a data type detection unit and an application startup unit, it is possible to receive a plurality of data delivery services simultaneously.
Conventionally, mobile telephones have been developed that incorporate game functions and mail creation functions. Using these types of mobile telephones, a user has been able to perform operations continuously for an extended period of time in order to play games or create mail text even while waiting for the arrival of an incoming signal. Accordingly, if an incoming signal arrives while the user is operating the mobile phone, the image display from the operations performed until that time is suddenly interrupted and the screen display is altered to a screen display giving notification of an incoming call. Incoming signals include incoming signals relating to the reception of short messages and e-mails in addition to telephone calls, and a screen display is switched in the same way.
In particular, when the aforementioned SMS is a service that specifies an application held by the mobile phone relating to identification information stored in a short message, and then automatically starts up that application, in some cases what is displayed on the screen is not notification of an incoming signal but is notification relating to an application that is started up by an incoming signal. For example, what is displayed on the screen may be notification that an application has started up, notification that an application has ended, notification that an error occurred during the execution of the application, or notification that an application requires input from a user.
In order to avoid the annoyance felt when a game or the creation of a mail text message is interrupted by a notification of the arrival of an incoming signal or the like that is generated unintentionally, some conventional mobile telephones (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2002-223271) have been provided with a mode for stopping the wait operation of the arrival of an incoming signal so that the arrival of an incoming signal is not generated during a game. FIG. 39 shows an outline of the operation flow of this mobile telephone.
In FIG. 39, while waiting, music playback is instructed by a user in processing step S1101, and is commenced. Next, when an incoming call signal is received in processing step S1102, a determination is made in determination processing step S1103 as to whether or not a flag F has been set. This flag F shows whether or not the mobile telephone is in wait operation stop mode. If the flag F has been set (i.e., if F=1), then an operation to notify of the arrival of an incoming signal is prohibited by processing step S1104. Next, in processing step S1105, the end of the playing music is awaited. When the music ends, in processing step S1106, a notification is made by displaying the fact that an incoming signal has arrived, and the routine is ended.
In determination processing step S1103, if the flag F is reset (i.e., if F=0), processing step S1107 is carried out. In processing step S1107, in the same way as for a normal arrival of an incoming signal, a notification may be displayed on the screen, or a notification may be made by playing a melody showing the arrival of an incoming signal, or a notification may be made by driving a vibrator. Consequently, if the user performs an off-hook operation, conversation processing is performed in processing step S1108, and an on-hook operation is awaited in processing step S1109. When the on-hook operation is detected, in processing step S1110, the mobile telephone is restored to a state in which music is able to be played back, and the routine is ended.
Furthermore, conventionally, if the arrival of an incoming signal is detected while a game is being run, a method in which notification of the arrival of the incoming signal is not given, and a method in which the game data is stored in a memory and notification of the arrival of the incoming signal is given, and the game can then be subsequently recommenced have been proposed.
Conventionally, mobile telephones that have a Japanese language input function for applications such as creating the text of an e-mail are widely used. Mobile telephones are provided with numerical keys for 0 to 9 as well as the two # and * keys. However, it is difficult to input Japanese language using these keys, and a large number of key operations are necessary. While inputting Japanese language is naturally difficult, it is also difficult to input character strings of English, which has fewer types of characters. Because of this, a function in which a plurality of candidates for the character string to be input are displayed in response to key operations, and the character string to be input is selected from among these candidates by performing a setting operation is required in mobile telephones for each of the world's languages, including English. When Japanese language is input, there are a large number of homonyms. Therefore, in a personal computer, a function in which a plurality of candidates for the character string to be input are displayed, and the character string to be input is set from among these candidates by performing a setting operation is typically used. Naturally, this capability is also required in the Japanese language input function of a mobile telephone.
The following is an example of a mobile telephone having this type of Japanese language input function (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. H06-152711).
Next, a description will be given using an example of a conventional mobile telephone having a Japanese language input function.
This type of device is provided with keys arranged in the manner shown in FIG. 40. Five katakana alphabet symbols (i.e., the square form of the Japanese alphabet) for “A I U E O” are allocated to the key 901 of the number 1. In the same way, the katakana alphabet symbols for “KA KI KU KE KO” are allocated to the key of the number 2, the katakana alphabet symbols for “SA SI SU SE SO” are allocated to the key of the number 3, the katakana alphabet symbols for “TA TI TU TE TO” are allocated to the key of the number 4, the katakana alphabet symbols for “NA NI NU NE NO” are allocated to the key of the number 5, the katakana alphabet symbols for “HA HI HU HE HO” are allocated to the key of the number 6, the katakana alphabet symbols for “MA MI MU ME MO” are allocated to the key of the number 7, the katakana alphabet symbols for “YA YU YO” are allocated to the key of the number 8, the katakana alphabet symbols for “RA RI RU RE RO” are allocated to the key of the number 9, and the katakana alphabet symbols for “WA WO N” are allocated to the key of the number 0. In addition to these, a conversion key 902 and a set key 903 are provided.
For example, in order to input “Tokyo” in Japanese kanji characters (i.e., the Chinese character used in Japanese writing), the katakana alphabet symbols for “TOUKIYOU” are specified. The katakana alphabet symbol for “TO” corresponds to the key of the number 4. In the same way, the katakana alphabet symbol for “U” corresponds to the key 901 of the number 1, the katakana alphabet symbol for “KI” corresponds to the key of the number 2, the katakana alphabet symbol for “YO” corresponds to the key of the number 8, and the katakana alphabet symbol for “U” corresponds to the key 901 of the number 1. Therefore, if “41281” is input and the conversion key 902 is pressed, the candidate “TOUKIYOU” is displayed in katakana alphabet symbols. If the conversion key 902 is pressed again, “Tokyo” is displayed in Japanese kanji characters. If the set key 903 is pressed here, the word “Tokyo” written in Japanese kanji characters is set.
In FIG. 41, the transition of the display of character strings on the screen as a result of the above-described operation is shown by states 910 to 918.
In FIG. 41, immediately after the numerical keys have been pressed in sequence from a state 910 in which the input of the character string of “tomorrow” which is written in Japanese kanji characters has been set, the numbers are displayed in the character string input area on the screen (states 911 to 915). If the conversion key 902 is then pressed, these numbers are converted into katakana alphabet symbols (state 916). Other Japanese words correspond to the number string “41281” in addition to the katakana alphabet symbols for “TOUKIYOU”. For example, the kanji symbol for “durability” corresponds to the katakana alphabet symbols for “TAIKIYUU”, the kanji symbols for “ninth” and “compensatory holiday” correspond to the katakana alphabet symbols for “UAIKIYUU”, the kanji symbol for “prenatal care of an unborn child” corresponds to the katakana alphabet symbols for “TAIKIYOU”, the kanji symbols for “worst luck” and “DAIKYO” (which is the name of a company) correspond to the katakana alphabet symbols for “DAIKIYOU”, the kanji symbols for “work strike” and “large undertaking” correspond to the katakana alphabet symbols for “TAIGIYOU”, the kanji symbols for “search”, “pursuit”, and “investigation” correspond to the katakana alphabet symbols for “TUIKIYUU”, the kanji symbols for “low-class”, “regular holiday”, and “tennis” correspond to the katakana alphabet symbols for “TEIKIYUU”, the kanji symbols for “supply” and “imperial capital” correspond to the katakana alphabet symbols for “TEIKIYOU”, the kanji symbols for “grade”, “TOKYU” (which is the name of a department store) and “to throw a ball” correspond to the katakana alphabet symbols for “TOUKIYUU”, the kanji symbol for “same grade” corresponds to the katakana alphabet symbols for “DOUKIYUU”, the kanji symbol for “bullfighting” corresponds to the katakana alphabet symbols for “TOUGIYUU”, the kanji symbols for “the same province”, “Taosim”, and “copper mirror” correspond to the katakana alphabet symbols for “DOUKIYOU”, and the kanji symbol for “same profession” corresponds to the katakana alphabet symbols for “DOUGIYOU”. Note that because the katakana alphabet symbol for “DA” is a combination of the katakana symbol for “TA” plus a voiced sound symbol indicating a voiced consonant, instead of the katakana for “DA” the katana for “TA” is input. In the same way, because the katakana alphabet symbol for “DO” is a combination of the katakana symbol for “TO” plus a voiced sound symbol indicating a voiced consonant, instead of the katakana for “DO” the katana for “TO” is input. By repeatedly pressing the conversion key 902, these are displayed consecutively on the screen. Finally, by pressing the set key 903, the kanji symbol for “Tokyo” are set (state 918).
In the above-described application automatic startup system, the following problem has existed. For example, when the user terminal goes outside the range covered by the communications service, or when the power is turned off, that is, when the user terminal is placed in a state in which it is unable to receive, then even if the server acquires new information and instructs the startup of an application using an SMS message to the user terminal, the application cannot be started up as the user terminal is unable to receive the SMS message. Thereafter, when the user terminal moves again back into the range of the communication service, or when the power is turned on, that is, when the user terminal is placed in a state in which it is able to receive, the SMS message is received, the application is started up, and the information is acquired and displayed. In this case, there is a possibility that the information required by the server has decreased in value or has become valueless during the time that the user terminal was in a state of being unable to receive. For example, because stock price information is updated at regular times, even if the user terminal once again becomes able to receive, and does receive an SMS message, and an application is started up, only old stock price information from prior to the latest update is acquired.
When a user terminal starts up an application based on the delayed receipt of an SMS message and acquires information having a term of validity, the following problems have existed.    (a) Resources of the user terminal are consumed needlessly in order to acquire information that is no longer valid.    (b) Resources of the network are consumed needlessly in order to acquire information that is no longer valid.    (c) Resources of the server are consumed needlessly for error processing or in order to acquire information that is no longer valid.
Furthermore, in an application automatic startup system based on the above-described conventional technology, the following problems have existed.
When a message is received and an application of a mobile telephone is started up using an application startup command included in the message, if the message attempts to start up an application that has not been installed on the mobile telephone, the startup cannot be achieved and fails. However, the message content needs to be resent many times over, and depending on the service a great deal of data may be sent. Consequently, the load on the mobile telephone is huge and causes great inconvenience to the user.
When the application is an application with a term of validity attached, such as a shareware application, and this term of validity has expired, the application cannot start up even if the message is transmitted.
As long as a user or service provider that is transmitting the message does not stop the service, a message attempting to start up an application that is not installed on the mobile telephone continues to be sent.
Moreover, in order to stop the service of an application that is not installed on a mobile telephone, the user needs to perform bothersome tasks such as tracing WEB pages to visit the WEB page of the cancellation setting screen of the service provided using a browser, or finding out the telephone number of the service provider and telephoning them.
Moreover, if an attempt is made to download an application that is not installed on the mobile telephone, it is necessary to trace WEB pages to visit the WEB page showing the download screen of the service provider using a browser.
Furthermore, if the continuing use of an application whose term of validity has expired is desired, it is necessary to trace WEB pages to visit the WEB page showing the download screen of the service provider using a browser.
Furthermore, in the case of a mobile telephone that displays a warning on the screen using a popup window, for example, when the mobile telephone returns from outside the service region to within the service region, if the plurality of SMS messages that have accumulated in the server up until that point are received and a plurality of the applications that correspond to these SMS messages cannot be started up, then due to the nature of a mobile telephone, the problems arise that it is not possible to display a large number of popup windows showing warnings, and that if a user closes the popup windows, information advising of a failure of the startup of the applications cannot be confirmed at a later time.
Moreover, in an application automatic start-up system that uses the above-described conventional technology, if an SMS notification is received then the application is started up without any limitations thereon, even in a state in which the functions of the mobile communication terminal are restricted, such as manner mode (i.e., a mode that is set so as to enable the mobile telephone to be used with consideration given to others—for example, a mode in which no ring tone is given, but instead a vibration is generated by a vibrator) and drive mode (i.e., a mode in which a notification is made to the person making the call stating that due to the fact that the user is currently driving a car and thus the user is unable to answer the telephone, and in which the arrival of an incoming signal is recorded in an arrival history for incoming signals without a ring tone being given and conversation is ended), so that problems arise such as, for example, a ring tone being given.
FIG. 42A and FIG. 42B show examples of a conventional display screen when SMS notification is executed in manner mode.
If an SMS notification occurs during the display of the waiting screen shown in FIG. 42A, then, conventionally, regardless of whether the mobile telephone is in manner mode or not, the application is started up without any limitations thereon. As a result, an application startup display such as that shown in FIG. 42B is shown.
Moreover, in SMS, because only a small amount of data can be contained in a single message, only a summary of an information is delivered, and the details of the information is acquired later using a terminal at the logical location of that information (for example, a uniform resource locator (URL)). However, when that information is acquired, a series of actions such as:                1. receive SMS PUSH messages        2. start up application        3. acquire information (i.e., access network)is automatically processed. When this happens, under a rate schedule such as a volume dependent charging system, the communication charge amount is continually increased by the frequency of the updates or the volume of information without the user being aware of it. Accordingly, there is a possibility that a high charge amount will be levied on the user. In addition, in future data communications services using mobile terminals, the volume of data that will be exchanged will increase as the data communication rate increases, so that the financial burden on the user will tend to increase.        
Moreover, as the performance and functionality of mobile communication terminals such as mobile phones have improved in recent years, it may be considered that, in future, a variety of PUSH data delivery services will be provided in addition to notification services of crime prevention systems (see FIG. 37 and FIG. 38) and e-mail automatic reception services and the like.
If services continue to diversify in this way, and a user is able to receive a plurality of delivery services using a single mobile communication terminal, there is a possibility that a plurality of startup messages will be received simultaneously.
In particular, if a plurality of delivery servers transmit the aforementioned startup messages to a mobile communication terminal while the power supply of that mobile communication terminal is turned off, or while that mobile communication terminal is outside the communication service range (or if startup messages are transmitted from a single server for a plurality of services), when the power supply of the mobile communication terminal is turned back on or when the terminal returns from outside the service range to inside the service range, then a situation in which a plurality of messages are received substantially simultaneously in a short time could easily arise. In this case, if the mobile communication terminal processes the messages in the order that they are received, then the problem arises that the processing of a notification message having a high degree of urgency such as a notification from a crime prevention system may end up being put off until later.
Moreover, it is necessary that conventional mobile telephones in which the aforementioned game functions and mail text creation functions and the like have been installed are provided with operation modes that include a mode for stopping the operation of a radio section and a game mode in the operation of the mobile telephone. These types of mode are easy to understand if the arrival of an incoming signal is to be completely denied, however, in actual applications, a user may wish to play a game while waiting for an incoming signal. In addition, it is difficult to understand an operation in which the creation of the text of a mail is performed in a mode for denying the arrival of incoming signals, and the radio section function of the mobile telephone is made usable only when the mail is to be sent, and the possibility exists that such operations will confuse a user.
Mobile telephone software has now appeared that is provided with a multiprocessing execution environment that is very similar to those used on desktop computers. In this type of sofiware environment, it is not possible to make the clear-cut distinction that, the mobile telephone must be set to a game mode because an application is being run, and nor is it necessary to do so. In other words, it is taken for granted that an operation is possible in which a game or application currently being run is hid in the background while a task that has interrupted this game or application is processed, and that when this task has ended the interrupted game or application is recommenced.
In this way, if a game or application is being run while the arrival of an incoming signal is awaited, the conventional technology causes the problem that notification of the arrival of the incoming signal unexpectedly appears on the screen resulting in an operational error or a feeling of annoyance or surprise overcoming the user.
In addition, a conventional mobile telephone having a Japanese language input function displays character strings that are input in, sequence during character input and that have not yet been set. If an incoming signal of a telephone arrives in the middle of an operation to select a character string from among a plurality of candidates, the problem has existed that the display switches to the screen for the notification of the arrival of an incoming signal and the thoughts of the user, which had been centered on the operation to select a character string, are interrupted. In particular, if the selection is being made from a large number of candidates, then because it is necessary to search for the desired character string by displaying the candidates sequentially, there is a comparatively high probability that an incoming signal will arrive during such a search and that the search will be interrupted. In addition, when the arrival of an incoming signal or telephone conversation ends, the display is restored to its original character input screen. In this case, however, the mobile telephone returns to its original state in which the candidates are displayed, or unset character strings are lost. Even if candidates had been displayed, the problem has existed that it may be difficult for a user to recall and continue his or her interrupted actions, and if unset character strings have been lost, the user must go to the trouble of repeating the key operation and candidate selection from the beginning.